CHAPTER17

“Anywhere you need to go, angel?” Andrew asked as he started the car outside of the doctor’s office.  He couldn’t have been more pleased with his wife’s clean bill of health and he was considering lunch to celebrate.

She looked at him incredulously for a moment, then grinned, “No, just home….or rather, back to the farm.”

“Sure?  I was thinking maybe lunch.  You must be hungry…” He moved to shift the car into Drive, but was stopped when she moved up beside of him and took his face into her hands.  Her kiss was urgent and left little room for discussion.

“Starved…” Monica murmured, before kissing him hungrily once more, her hand running up inside the sleeve of his shirt as her tongue sought its entrance.

Andrew was breathless when he finally pulled away, feeling his body already responding to her, but he somehow managed to find his voice, “Home…definitely home…”

She laughed as she slid back over to her seat, keeping one hand on his leg as she rubbed softly, amused when he nearly groaned.  He was driving as fast as was safe, but it still wasn’t quick enough for him.  The need to make love to her was suddenly urgent after nearly seven weeks of not being able to.  His heart was pounding loudly and he reached down to cover her hand with his own in an effort to calm his desires.

When they pulled into the driveway at the farm, their hands were trembling as they unbuckled their seatbelts and all but sprinted from the car, Andrew quickly taking her hand into his once more.  He pulled out his key and tried to insert it into the lock, but the fact that his wife was standing on tiptoe to run her tongue over his ear was making it a rather difficult task.  Finally finding the keyhole, he left the keys dangling as he turned to her for a moment and caught her mouth in a passionate kiss.  Her hands were sliding up his chest as his own tangled in her hair and when they finally came up for air it was in a gasp.

“We need to move this inside…quickly,” Andrew informed her, his voice husky with his desire for her.  He reached for the knob, but before he could turn the key, the door opened, startling both of them.

“Alex?” The couple stated in unison.

“It sounded like you were having trouble with your key,” She observed with a smile, “The lock can be rather temperamental.”

“I thought you and Paul were shopping this afternoon,” Monica was trying to sound casual and trying to keep from fidgeting, much to her husband’s silent amusement.

“We were on our way out.  Paul just had to grab his wallet as he forgot it.  We were thinking about grabbing lunch first.  You two care to join us?”

“Not hungry.”

“Already ate.”

The answers came simultaneously as Monica and Andrew exchanged a glance.

Alex raised her eyebrows as she looked at her two friends, a slow grin creeping over her face, “You got a clean bill of health, huh?”

Monica’s deep blush told the agent all she needed to know as she called over her shoulder, “Paul, let’s go!  We have things to do!” She could hear him clamoring around in the study and her voice dropped to a whisper, “We’ll be out of your hair in just a second.  You two have fun.” She winked as Paul came up behind her and placed his hands on her waist.

“Hi you two,” He greeted them with a smile, “Care to join us for lunch?”

“As a matter of fact, they had lunch earlier,” Alex explained, seeing the deer in the headlights looks of the two angels, “So, lets get a move on, Gatlin.”

Andrew and Monica moved past them and managed to casually bid them good-bye, before Andrew shut the door behind them.  A moment later, his wife had grabbed his hand and was all but yanking him down the hall.

“Angel,” He laughed, willingly following her, “One would think there was a fire…”

“Oh, there’s a fire all right and it’s been burning for weeks,” She informed him as she pulled him to the guest room and then pushed him towards the bed, “I need you to put it out,” She added mischievously as he sat down and pulled her into his arms.

A moment later, she was straddling him as their lips came together once more, the kisses urgent and passionate, igniting their fire all over again.  Andrew moved his hand to the back of her head, to deepen the kiss and felt her shudder against him.  He could feel her fingers already unbuttoning his shirt and could soon feel her warm hands running over him and a moan escaped him as she moved down his body to lay kisses against his chest, the feel of her warm mouth nearly making him insane in his need for her.

They were both trembling with desire as the rest of the clothing was shed and Andrew gently rolled over to lay her against the comforter,  “I love you so much, angel,” He whispered, moving to kiss her again as his hand traveled down her body to her breast, kneading it gently in his hand, loving the low moans that escaped her.  Though he knew that they were always connected, these intimate moments he cherished with his entire heart.  Moments he could love her completely, with body and soul, heart and hands.  He was never sure anymore of where he ended and she began and a physical union only solidified what was already in his heart.

He moved down to her hardened nipple and lapped at her with his tongue as she arched her back to bring herself closer to his questing mouth.  He alternated between her breasts, sucking and fondling, feeling her hands in his hair and against his shoulders as sounds of pleasure continued to flow from her lips.

“Andrew…Andrew...please…I can’t wait…it’s been too long…” She was pleading, the long absence of his being able to make love to her making her need to feel him joined with her urgent.

It was all he could do to contain himself as he plunged into her, closing his eyes at the sound of her cry and the feel of her warmth surrounding him and before he moved again, he kissed her with a heat and a passion that nearly took her breath away.

“I love you,” Monica uttered, tears of love and need in her dark, stormy eyes, “Only God could ever know how much,” But the look only lasted a moment before her dark pools filled with fierce need and she began to move against him, urging him on.  As he thrust into her, she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him in deeper and harder.  Most of their lovemaking had been sweet and tender, but their built up desire this time was much more intense.  They had a taste on their honeymoon of something so right and so perfect, and now they claimed it once more as something only they could share with body and heart.

Her cries filled the room as her husband drove her higher and higher, but then he suddenly stopped and a whimper of frustration escaped her.  She opened her eyes and met his, the gaze she could remain lost in forever.

“You’re everything to me, Monica…everything…” He whispered, before he pushed into her harder still, his thrusts coming faster, until he felt the intense tightening of her around him, her fingers clutching his shoulders desperately as he was completed into her with a shudder and her whispered name on his lips. 

They remained motionless for a moment as they caught their breath before the little angel pulled him down for a tender and loving kiss, before she whispered, “I missed you so much.”

Gently and lovingly, he traced the outline of her face with his fingertips as if memorizing every inch of it as his eyes held her gaze, “I only have to be away from you for a moment to miss you, sweetheart,” He told her softly, “And in those moments or days when you are not near me and I think about how much I love you…it takes my breath away, Monica.”

Tears shone in her dark eyes as she felt emotion rising to her throat, “You’ve been my best friend for as long as I can remember…and now you’re my husband as well as my best friend.  I don’t think I could be any happier, Andrew,” Tears escaped as she smiled, “I have everything I could ever want.  I’ve had it all since the night you told me you loved me.”

“I will always love you, angel,” Andrew moved to kiss away the tears that had fallen, “I don’t want you to doubt that…ever.”

She caught his face in her hands once more, “Why would you ever think I would?”

He was quiet for a moment, his fingers brushing lightly through her bangs, “When you were in surgery and I was so angry with Paul…a part of my anger came from knowing that there would always be the chance that one day I could say or do something to hurt you,” He shook his head ruefully, “I can’t even fathom it but on the same token, I’m not perfect and ever since McArthur, I’ve had problems with my temper.  I’ve even taken anger out on you before like when you found Faith.  I hurt you that day in the barn when I wanted you to tell me everything that happened the night you were raped,” He noted the infinitesimal glimmer of pain in her eyes as he continued, “I hate myself when it happens, but I also have to accept that one day it could happen again.”

“But I could just as easily hurt you,” She countered softly, but he shook his head and a small chuckle emerged from him.

“I can’t even imagine it, angel, never intentionally,” He added, remembering the nights she had been unable to allow him to sit with her while she slept.  It had hurt him, but it had been beyond her control, “I just want you to always know that if it ever happens again, that my love for you never changes.  Alex doubted that about Paul, but I don’t want you to ever doubt it about me.”

“I never will,” Monica whispered, kissing him softly once more, “And if it ever happens, I will always forgive you.  There is nothing you could ever do, Andrew, which I could not forgive.  That is how much I love you.  Besides, every time, your anger comes out of your concern for me, so even when you are upset with me, I know it is because you love me.”

Andrew smiled, his heart aching at his love for her, “With all that I am, angel,” He stated softly before his lips found hers, gently seeking entrance to her soul.  Her hand was warm against his face and he closed his eyes to cherish the moment with every fiber of his being.  He never knew when one of them may be called away again and he was quickly learning to savor every moment of being in the little angel’s presence.

He kissed her deeply, tenderly and he felt her pressing herself closer to him, feeling her breasts up against his chest as he marveled at this perfect intimacy and closeness that they could share with no shame.  Her body against his felt as natural as all those years of simply holding her hand had felt.  His hand stroked her back and settled at the small of her back as his lips covered every inch of her face and he worked his way to her neck, hearing the soft sigh that escaped her as she moved her head to grant him access. 

This time their lovemaking was slow and tender with gentle caresses and whispered words of love as they gave of themselves completely in surrender to each other.  Andrew drew her hardened nipple into his mouth as his fingers stroked through her slick folds, loving the way she drew his head closer to her breast and arched her back in pleasure.  His fingers stroked her slowly, as her need for release grew and by the time he had entered her, it took no more than a few strokes to send her tumbling and he smiled that the sweet sounds that emerged from her lips. 

Andrew continued to move within her towards his own completion, but Monica stopped him and a moment later she was astride him, moving slowly, her strokes short and shallow to draw out his pleasure.  He brought his hands to her hips to steady and guide her and when she finally took the length of him into herself a groan escaped him, even as Monica smiled in satisfaction.  She closed her eyes, completely focused on his pleasure as she continued to move above him faster and harder, loving the feel of him within her body in complete unity. 

Her eyes popped open a moment later as she felt his fingers against her sensitive nub and just as she cried out softly, she felt Andrew tense and fill her with all that he was.  Content to keep him within her, Monica leaned down and kissed him gently, feeling as if she might cry at the look of fierce love in his green eyes.  That look alone always stole her breath and reminded her that she belonged to him for all of eternity. It caused her heart to swell with so many powerful emotions that a breathless sob escaped her as she saw the understanding his eyes.  He felt it too.

“So beautiful,” Andrew whispered, his hands framing her face, only moving to swipe at the tear that fell, “My beautiful wife…I’ll never get tired of thinking of you that way, angel.  It’s still the greatest gift I could ever imagine.”

For a moment she was unable to speak, as she laid her head down on his chest and felt his hands running through her hair.  She hated the separations from him, regardless of how much she loved being an angel.  But sometimes she envied Alex and Paul and having a place to call home.  Yes, heaven would always be Home and she loved it there in God’s presence, but being angels meant not having something to build and fill with love between the two of them.  Where their friends could go their separate ways in the morning by exchanging “see you tonight” or “I’ll be back tomorrow” she and Andrew didn’t have such luxuries and the not knowing where or when they would meet up again caused an ache in her heart.

“Angel?” He had felt a trace of sadness emanating from her and his voice held concern.

“It’s nothing,” Monica whispered, her voice trembling slightly, not even sure where this wave of sadness had come from, other than knowing that now that their work with Paul and Alex was done for now, that they would be moving on…and not necessarily together, “I just love you, that’s all…sometimes, so much it hurts, Andrew.”

She felt his arms tighten around her and she closed her eyes, forcing the feelings from her heart.  They had been so blessed.  There was no need for her to want for more.